Nikon Cameras doesn't connect via USB?

WD External Drives My Passport Wireless
1

Seems that Nikon D500 and Z6 doesn’t connect to My Passport Wireless Pro via USB. Error message is: invalid file system.
Is there a solution? (Beside using the internal card reader, cause I’m using CFExpress)

2

I suspect there is no easy solution.

When I plug such a device (camera, phone) into a PC, it doesn’t show up as a drive, it shows up as a “device”. In simple terms; the wireless passports are setup to have “drives” plugged in. . .not “devices”.

I think you would have the same problem plugging the camera into the USB port of something like a router.

3

maybe check your Nikon camera settings for Mass Storage Device or PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) ?

4

Thanks for your suggestions!
MSD and PTP should work automatically in Nikon cameras. There is also no problem to connect the cameras to PC via USB, works out of the box.
WD advertises with direct connection of cameras to My Passport Wireless. One reason, I bought it. But as usual, advertising promises not always become true.

5

I did a little googling.

Canon cameras (that I shoot) can’t be set for MSD.
(some? Most?) Nikon cameras can be selected for MSD or PTP; but it is a manual adjusted menu setting; not automatic.

I never really knew this; as I always worked by plugging the SD card into the MyPassport. (I generally use multiple USB cards when travelling with my cameras - - -the price of large capacity SD cards has really come down)

I did look at the WD blurb on this function. . .yes - - -the advertising does lead you to believe any camera can be plugged in to the MPWP; although the term “External USB storage device” is used. This is highly misleading at best.

Sort of the MyCloud Home series. . . .CLEARLY advertised as a NAS device; yet most definitely it does not have proper NAS functionality in any traditional sense. . . . and people wonder why I have trust issues.

6

None of my Nikons (D7100, D500, Z6) has any option to configure USB fot MSB or PTP.

7

Huh. that’s what you get when you trust the internet.

:slight_smile:

So - - - that means (I think) you are out of luck?

Sorry I don’t have a better answer.

8

Well, the solution was to buy a card reader. Unfortunately for CFExpress there is only one pretty expensive one on the market but so what, it works.

11

MPWP and Cameras:
Real Talk: The MPWP is a product abandoned in place. No firmware update for several years. I would NOT let the MPWP dictate what camera to buy,

Ok. . . .you can’t plug the camera into the device. But you can still pop the card out of the camera and pop it into the MPWP. It never used to be a problem for me. . . since in heavy vacation use I generally filled up one SD card every day. . . and I would need to put a fresh one in the camera regardles.

Now - - - with the crazy memory card sizes. . . I guess that isn’t an issue any more. :slight_smile:
A single card CAN last an entire trip. (although it makes backup that much more important)

I guess the next major trip I take (put off because of travel restrictions). . .I will have to work out a fresh backup strategy.

However. . .the rules to live by:

  • Always backup photos so that if you loose your camera bag during the day; you never lose more than a day’s worth of pictures.
  • Never put your backup photos in the same bag as your camera. If you lose your computer bag. . .fine. . .you lost the backups and a laptop. Original photos are on SD cards in the camera bag. If you lose your camera bag. . .fine. . .you lost the camera and the SD cards. But all the backup photos are in your computer bag.

I guess you could be REALLY unlucky and lose everything. . .that would be bad. If you are worried about that. . .then . . carry a pocket SSD (not a MPWP) with all the photos IN YOUR POCKET; or use an online service to backup to the cloud nightly.

Cameras:
From what I see; Canon and Sony are competing for top spot. Nikon seems to have fallen behind of late. I personally shoot Canon. (In 2015-2020 time frame, it was Canon that was falling behind; which has given Sony time to mature their product line and grab market share.). I don’t know about Sony and Nikon; but the Canon supply chain was hit pretty hard. Their new RF lenses are hard to come by.

Camera stores (also a resource for WD NAS hardware)

  • B&H photo (hands down. . .the go-to name in the space)
  • Adorama (Strong competitor to B&H. . .will shop their whenever B&H is out of stock)
  • KEH. . . .better known for top notch used equipment. Also will order from there without hesitation.